Annapolis police officer not guilty of assault

Pamela Wood, The Baltimore Sun

A high-ranking Annapolis police officer was found not guilty Tuesday of assaulting his wife at their home in Easton.

Capt. Christopher A. Amoia was charged with second-degree assault on April 4. Easton police said the alleged victim told police the two had been arguing and things turned physical. She told police Amoia held her against a wall with his forearm. She was not injured.

The woman invoked her spousal privilege not to testify against Amoia when the case went to trial on Tuesday, according to Talbot County State's Attorney Scott G. Patterson and Amoia's attorney, Jennifer Alexander of Annapolis.

Prosecutors did not present any additional witnesses or evidence and Amoia was found not guilty, Alexander said. She declined to comment further and said Amoia had no comment.

Patterson said there were no other witnesses to the alleged assault. Had there been any witnesses, his staff would have prosecuted the case vigorously, Patterson said. His office has a policy of taking all domestic violence cases to trial and not dropping charges before trial.

"We take domestic violence very seriously," he said.

Amoia had been placed on suspension following his arrest. He is commander of the Annapolis Police Department's administrative support services division, overseeing records, communications, community services and other services. He's been with the Annapolis police since June 1991.

The internal investigation into the incident is ongoing and the Annapolis Police Department had no comment, said spokeswoman Cpl. Amy Miguez.